Thai television sensation Woody got the chance to interview the main stars of the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man 2 (Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone) but his interview with Hollywood actor, musician, and stand-up comedian Jamie Foxx is by far the most entertaining, and also, relevant – Jamie expresses his love for Chiang Mai and reveals his plans to possibly retire there in the future.

Woody opens the interview with Jamie by teaching him how to say “Sawatdee Krap”, and then telling him Thailand says hello. Jamie responds positively by saying he loves Thailand and they begin discussing Jamie’s previous trip to Chiang Mai for a film project – we assume he means the 2005 film Stealth, which was partially shot in areas of Thailand, mainly Ko Phi Phi.

Jamie said, “When I get through with doing what I’m doing over here, I’m going to Chiang Mai and I’m gonna live forever. I just had a great time, I threw my cellphone away.” When Woody said Jamie must give him a call if he plans to retire to Thailand, Jamie responded by saying, “Yes, yes! I wanna retire there!”

Chiang Mai is a historic city located along the Ping River, nestled within some of Thailand’s tallest mountains, which are dotted with Buddhist temples. The city hosts several festivals, including Loi Krathong/Yi Peng (SEE gif), where residents launch decorative lanterns whose heat sends them skyward, and the Flower Festival, which takes place when the city’s tropical flowers are in full bloom.

Chiang Mai, along with Vancouver, Valencia, Guam,Buenos Aires and Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, has been voted by Bankrate as one of the best places in the world to retire.

The financial services group, which has come to be one of America’s best known financial advice companies says life in Chiang Mai as a retiree should be sweet.

The site credits the Northern Rose as not just cheap – ‘“under 2,000 dollars I live like a king,”says Barry’ – but in terms of weather as affable as a cuddly toy.

Although the prices the site quotes are maybe a little on the low-cost-living side for some people, it isn’t far off the mark. Every expat knows that somtum and sticky rice at the back of Chiang Mai University is a whole different world to eating at 5 star French restaurants.

We can agree or disagree, but one thing is certain, Chiang Mai is one town that just can’t stop being the top of lists.

The Thai city of Chiang Mai has long lured expats from the West. As many as 40,000 foreigners currently call Chiang Mai home, at least part of the year. The primary draw is the cost of living and medical care. Both are a global bargain. In addition, Chiang Mai boasts a more temperate climate than much of the rest of this country, as well as modern infrastructure and an abundance of Western amenities.

Thailand has had its share of political unrest in recent years, but Chiang Mai has been largely unaffected. Politics aside, Thailand is the land of smiles. The gentle, unfailingly polite locals endear visitors and welcome foreign retirees.

Located about 435 miles north of Bangkok, Chiang Mai is nestled in a fertile river valley surrounded by mountains. It’s an area rich in history with a culture distinctly different from that in central and southern Thailand. With a population of about 250,000, the city dates back more than 700 years and was originally walled.

The Old City was an integral market and manufacturing center on the busy trade routes between Yunnan province in southern China and the port cities of Burma, where goods traveled to and from the trade centers of India and beyond. Many crafts and raw materials were made and traded here and then distributed throughout the region. Beautiful sculptures, pottery, woodcarvings, silver jewelry, and fabrics continue to be manufactured here. However, tourism has since replaced commercial trade as the major source of revenue.

The heart of Chiang Mai lies within its old city walls, where dozens of ancient and modern Buddhist temples coexist alongside public and international schools and residential and commercial neighborhoods. Street markets and festivals occur almost nightly, and there’s a great array of restaurants catering to all tastes. For these reasons, many expats choose to live in the center of the city, within the ancient walls, where they also enjoy affordable rentals and close proximity to all services.

Chiang Mai has grown beyond the ancient walls, and now extends for several miles in every direction. Large shopping complexes are located along a superhighway and a multi-lane, controlled-access ring road that circles the outskirts of the city. Mega-malls and big multinational grocery and department stores line the superhighway access roads, creating many shopping options for retirees.

Upscale neighborhoods include the area north of the Mae Ping River, which is popular among affluent foreigners. Another well-regarded area among expats is the neighborhood around Thanon Nimmanhemin and Thanon Huay Kaew, where you can find housing in all price ranges. Located a short taxi ride or a 20-minute walk west of the Old City, this area has dozens of popular restaurants and nightclubs, modern shopping malls, and excellent medical facilities.

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The cost of living in Chiang Mai is reasonable, largely because the cost of housing can be a bargain. A retired couple could live here comfortably on a budget of as little as $1,000 to $1,200 per month. You could rent a furnished studio apartment in a nice area for as little as $300 per month. A bigger, better appointed place might rent for $500 per month.

Another important attraction to Thailand and especially Chiang Mai is the standard and cost of medical care. Thailand has become an important medical tourism destination. Medical tourists sometimes find it much less expensive to fly to Thailand and receive treatment than to have the same procedures performed in their home countries, even allowing for the cost of international travel. You can see an English-speaking doctor for as little as $20. More serious care also can cost a fraction of what it would in the U.S. A heart bypass, for example, that might cost more than $100,000 in the U.S., costs only $10,000 in Thailand. A total hip replacement in Thailand costs around $11,000, while the same procedure in the U.S. can cost seven times as much.

Retiree Paul Richard considered many options in Thailand, including Samui, Phuket, and Hua Hin. He chose Chiang Mai over those other places because of its climate and “the people seemed a lot friendlier and more helpful” than in other areas he visited. Richard also likes that Chiang Mai is home to such an established community of fellow foreign retirees. “Chiang Mai has every type of leisure activity you could want from golf, tennis, and bowling to plenty of good Western restaurants and the Chiang Mai Expats Club,” he says.

The Chiang Mai Expats Club, with 650 members, is one of the best ways to become acquainted with this city and to tap into the experience of retirees already living in the area. You could also meet new people at a Lions Club, a Scandinavian Club, an Alliance Française, a Writers Group, a Flying Club, a Radio Amateur Society, and a Rotary Club.